Treatment Process

The wastewater treatment plant receives sewage from more than 99,000 residents in Fargo and from the surrounding communities of Frontier, Prairie Rose, Briarwood, Oxbow, Highland Park, Reile’s Acres, North River and rural Southeast Cass Developments.

Lift stations

Lift Station 60

61 lift stations pump wastewater into the city's collection system, which transfers wastewater into the Wastewater Treatment Plant's lift station. The 61 lift stations are continuously monitored through a radio communication system at the plant. The system alerts us of power failures, high levels, emergency generator operation and pump failure.

Wastewater personnel service and maintain the lift stations. They also administer an industrial pre-treatment program and sump pump program.

Wastewater entering the plant is about 99.9% water. Residential wastewater flows account for 97%, while industrial wastewater flow accounts for the rest. Our average daily flow in 2005 was 12.01 million gallons per day.

Treatment basics

The treatment plant uses both mechanical and biological methods to remove solids from wastewater. Raw sewage passes through a bar screen that filters out large solids and miscellaneous debris, which is then taken to the landfill. The wastewater is then pumped to a vortex grit remover that removes heavy material such as rocks, gravel, and sand. These materials are also sent to the landfill. Next, the wastewater passes through two channels where air is pumped into the wastewater to keep organic material in suspension. The wastewater then travels through seven clarifiers, which further separate solids from the wastewater by skimming the top and the bottom of the tanks. The wastewater travels through two different filters with bacteria that digest certain organic waste.

The wastewater is then chlorinated and dechlorinated while the solids are dried in either the drying beds or the belt filter press. The treated wastewater is then sent directly to the Red River or to stabilization ponds; the ponds are used if the level of the river is above 20 feet or if the wastewater needs to undergo further treatment. The dried biosolids are sent to the landfill. The total biosolids production for 2005 was 7,046 tons.